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Censor for a day

Twice a year the Classification Office runs a programme for senior Media Studies students called Censor for a Day. It is usually held during the first and third terms.

The event takes senior high school students through the process of classifying a film. They are given an introduction to the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993, the students then watch a pre-release film. Following a tea break, students work through a modified consideration sheet which mimics the process used to classify publications. The day finishes with a discussion and questions.

The programme rotates between different regional locations.

The proposed Locations for the next events Are:

2013: Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Auckland

How do you get to come to the event?

Invitations for schools to participate in Censor for a Day are sent out a few months before each event. If you are a teacher and would like to receive an invitation, contact us to make sure we have the most up-to-date contact details for your school. The Classification Office runs a limited programme and seats fill up fast, so we encourage you to respond quickly when the invitation emails are sent out.

Movie poster for the film Trancereport of the most recent censor for a day

Censor for a Day was held in Term 1, 2013 in Wellington, Dunedin and Christchurch. After spending the morning learing about the classification law, students watched the film Trance and undertook a classification exercise.

Find out how the students classified the film

Censor for a Day Report Archive

After each Censor for a Day event the Classification Office puts together a report about who came, what film they saw, and what they said about the film and the classification system.

Read reports of past Censor for a Day events

Classroom DVD resource: Censorship Information for Students

Because not every school can come to Censor for a Day, the Classification Office has produced a classroom DVD resource to help students understand New Zealand's classification system, using footage from Censor for a Day and clips from films.

Find out more about the DVD

Glossary:

  • Pre-release film = A film that has not yet been shown to the New Zealand public

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